Texas toddler fatally shot during home invasion, father in critical condition

A 2-year-old Texas boy, Ivory West Jr, was shot and killed in an apparent robbery gone wrong, which also left the toddlers father and another man wounded. ( Harris County Sheriff's Office)

A 2-year-old Texas boy was shot and killed in an apparent robbery gone wrong, which also left another man and the toddler’s father wounded.

Ivory West Jr., who also goes by TJ, was sitting in an open garage outside their Houston home with his dad and a family friend Tuesday night when they were approached by two men. Harris County Sheriff Lt. Robert Minchew told ABC News the pair of suspects opened fire inside the garage around 11 p.m., fatally striking little TJ, who was pronounced dead on the scene.

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The child’s mother was inside with a one-month old at the time. She thought “there were some fireworks going off downstairs.”

When she did make her way outside, she was immediately met by one of the shooters, who demanded money from her at gunpoint. The mother told her assailants she had nothing to give them, prompting them to flee on foot through the apartment complex.

Ivory West Jr., 2, who also goes by TJ, was sitting in an open garage outside their Houston home with his dad and a family friend Tuesday night when they were approached by two men around 11 p.m., (Harris County Sheriff's Office)

TJ’s father was shot several times and airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition on Thursday. The father’s friend was struck once in the leg and is currently in stable condition, police said.

“This is our community and when you are shooting kids… this is senseless and unacceptable. I know our community joins us in saying that this has to stop and we’ve got to get these people off the streets and hold them accountable,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said during a press conference on Wednesday.

“They are really crossing the line when they are out there committing these crimes. And again we are seeing way too much gun violence, especially focused on our children. There is no reason that a 2-year-old had to be dead this morning.”

Authorities described the suspects as African American men between the ages of 23 and 35 and around 6 feet tall. One of the shooters was sporting a black Nike sweatshirt with gold lettering across the front with black pants and black hat. The other was wearing a red cap and gray t-shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 713-221-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.